Stellamaris
by Hannah Salmalin
Summary: DISONTINUED Stellamaris. The old Thak word for ‘star of the sea.’ Da calls me that. Or at least he used to. He left when Ma got sick. Not being selfish, of course. He loves Ma too much. He left to get help, leaving me to look after Riki and Janie.
1. Default Chapter

_**Stellamaris**_

_**Summary: **Stellamaris. The old Thak word for 'star of the sea.' Da calls me that. Or, at least he used to. He left when Ma got sick. Not being selfish, of course. He loves Ma too much. No, he left to get help, leaving me to look after Riki and Janie. And it wasn't easy. Especially when you're only little, with magic that I can't use. I'm scared. I want my Da. An episode in the life of Sarralyn Salmalín._

**Disclaimer: I own the plot. I own Janie. I don't own anyone else. Life is just ssssssssooooooooo unfair. Sorry if the ages are a bit off.**

**_Sarralyn's Point Of View (POV)_**

I sat up. Something was stirring on the edge of my mind. I didn't often get these feelings, but when I did, it was usually important. I scrambled out of my confining bed. The pale pink cotton sheets were half strangling me. I opened the window; the room was stifling. The sun was just peaking over the horizon. The summer breeze was cool on my small form. I pushed the mop of blonde hair off my forehead. Then I ran.

I ran along the wooden floors upstairs. Past Riki's room, past Janie's room. The next floor was my parent's room. I pushed open the door hesitantly till my head just peaked in the door. As usual my parents lay together. Ma lay on Da's bare chest, the sheet only going halfway up her bare back. Her smoky brown hair brushed my father's chin. His lips were pressed to the top of her head. His hands rested on her back. They breathed at exactly the same time, rising and falling with the other. They seemed to glow with love. I sighed; they looked so sweet. I knew Da loved Ma more than anyone or anything in the whole world. His children weren't far behind.

I tiptoed to what was supposed to be Da's side of the bed. It actually wasn't because they always slept in the middle.

"Da? Da? Wake up." I whispered. I had climbed up onto the high bed and was crouched beside him.

He moaned a small complaint. "Hmm?" he mumbled.

"Da? Can you take me to the beach? Please?" he opened a bleary eye. I stared pleadingly into his dark brown eyes for a long moment before he groaned in resignation. He eased out from under Ma. He pulled on some breeches and a shirt and we silently walked downstairs.

"Sarra, why are we up so early?" he grumbled like a child, not a 43 year old man.

"Coz, you should know Da? It's my birthday so you have to do whatever I want."  
"It is too. How old are you again? Refresh an old man's memory."

I knew he was joking so I giggled. "I'm six, dolt."

He groaned again. "Not you too!"

"What?"

"Your Ma calls me dolt."

I giggled again.

We reached the edge of the beach. The grass ended, leaving a walk on rough rocks and soft golden sand before the sun coloured water. Da took off his boots and left them at the cliff's edge.

He picked me up. I hugged his neck and rubbed my face on it. I winced. His face and neck had some small, spiky bristles on it. I loved Da so much. I loved everyone in my family. I looked like none of them though.

Da was tan with dark eyes and hair. The only relation between us that showed was our long eyelashes. I had Ma's saxe eyes. But then, Da's was like me. He looked nothing like his parents. They looked Gallan or Scanran while he looked like the old people of Masada or Ekkellatum. I shared his love of learning and Ma's ability to transform into an animal at will. I had only been allowed to for a year. The spell grandmother Sarra put on me made me remain a human female for five years. I discovered I liked being a human and becoming animal like Ma did. When she wished.

Riki, my brother Rikash, doesn't have the talent of wild magic like Janie and I. he can turn animal but only certain types. He tends to prefer the snow leopard, a silver kestrel and alligators. But he's only three, so Ma and Da don't like him changing shapes a lot. He's also the only person in the whole world who can talk to premature dragons. He is very sweet when he sits on his bed, chatting away in chirps and whistles to Kitten. We think he might be a warrior when he gets older.

Kitten has gone to Corus to help the king with some things now.

Janie is the latest addition to our family. She's two and has wild magic. That's all we know of her. But we suspect she may become a great mage

Then there is our other family. The one with the king and queen and Aunt Lanna and Uncle Georgy. Lindhall is also very close to the family. And I almost forgot: Aunt Onua. She is my favourite aunt. Because she doesn't have any children she spoils us. But I like her because she is always nice and listens and she makes Ma and Da happy. Da said that she won't ever be able to have babies because of an accident she and her old husband had.

But I know the _real_ story. He raped her (whatever that means) and punched her up when she was pregnant. And then, a few years ago, okay lots of years ago, when Ma was 20, Onua's husband came to Tortall. Everyone but Da and Onua liked him. Even Ma! Anyway, Da had just proposed to Ma and she said yes when the guy called Andrew came. But then Da caught him raping her (I must find out what that word means) and told him to never come to Tortall again. But it was in worse language. It made me cry when I heard it. I wasn't supposed to but Da was telling Lindhall. I think Lindhall likes Onua.

"Sarra?" Da's voice interrupted my thoughts.

"Yes Da?"

"Why did you want to come here?"

"I have a feeling something important is going to happen here. I will find something."

He put me down and we strolled, hand in hand, down the shores. We were a good distance down the beach by the time the sun was completely over the horizon. I walked over to where the water gently lapped at the sand. I saw a small shell with the imprint of a star on it. I quickly grabbed it. It was so beautiful.

"Da! Look at this!" I held it up to show him. He walked over to me.

"Look at that. Isn't it pretty?" He inspected it. "This is something from ancient times. It's called a Lorkas shell. They are like opals. They're very powerful." He put it in my pale palm and closed the fingers around it. "Keep it safe. It might save your life one day. But, hopefully it won't have to. But it will always be special." Then he kissed my cheek gently. "My Stellamaris."

**This was just a prologue to show you a bit about Sarra's life. There will be more. And also the things in brackets were Sarra's thought not A/N's. Sorry if I spelt some things (like** Ekkellatum**) wrong. I lent my Emperor Mage to my friend Belynda and we went on holidays and she forgot to bring it and I don't see her for 8 weeks.**

**Please review. And if you want to know the story about Onua and Andrew it'll be coming up soon. Look out for it. Review!!! **


	2. Chapter 2

_**Stellamaris**_

_**Summary: **Stellamaris. The old Thak word for 'star of the sea.' Da calls me that. Or, at least he used to. He left when Ma got sick. Not being selfish, of course. He loves Ma too much. No, he left to get help, leaving me to look after Riki and Janie. And it wasn't easy. Especially when you're only little, with magic that I can't use. I'm scared. I want my Da. An episode in the life of Sarralyn Salmalín._

**Thank you lover-ly reviewers. **

**I won't blither on with the crap I usually do so I will just write, oh yes, I have some stuff to say (in an un-mean way): This is a fantasy world. I know Numair is Tyran and that Sarra defies genetics but in a world that isn't real (It's sad, but it's true) genetics can be screwed around. I will keep it in mind, but I like defying genetics. Can skin colour be taken into account? **

**Oh, right, the story:**

**Chapter 2 of Stellamaris**

It all began when I was eight. It was spring when Ma got sick. None of us knew what it was. She was just cooking breakfast one day when Da walked in. As he came in, she gave a little gasp and she passed out. Da caught her. Everything went super slow and was tinged with green. He laid her carefully on the ground. She was breathing raggedly and Da went white as a ghost. He picked her up and carried her to their bedroom. Riki told me all of this. I hadn't woken up. He ran upstairs to my room, at the top of the tower and woke me up. He was crying and then I started crying. What was the matter with our Ma?

We went down to Ma and Da's room. She lay on the bed, like she was asleep, but she looked dead against the crimson duvet. Da sat by her side, making soft noises as he wiped her sweaty forehead. He looked so upset. We went over to him.

"Da, what's wrong with mamma?" Riki asked quietly.

He looked at us and his eyes were glazed over. He blinked and seemed aware that we were there "I don't know," He had a totally lost look on his face. He knelt beside us and hugged us for a long time. Riki was still crying.

When he pulled away I noticed the glimmer of tears in his eyes. This must be bad, for Da to be crying.

"Sarra, can you go finish breakfast and get Janie up?" he asked me.

I nodded with my eyes wide. We left Da's room and Riki went downstairs. I went to Janie's room. She was siting on her bed laughing, while an exasperated Kitten was trying to pull a scarf off her head. I giggled and went to help the dragon. I was still shorter than her. She whistled her thanks and helped me get Janie dressed. She chattered the whole time and squirmed, which made it really hard. A few years ago, when she was very little I wished that she could talk so I didn't have to play with the boys. Now I regret that wish. She never shuts up!

Kitten pulled her off the bed and we held her hand as she walked down the stairs, despite her indignant cries that she was perfectly capable of doing it herself. Kit and I just rolled our eyes. Everyone in our family was graceful but Janie. She couldn't walk into a room without tripping over or breaking something. So she's not allowed in Da's libraries or workrooms. Or the kitchen if anyone is cooking. Or in the bathroom alone. Basically you have to hold both her hands the whole time.

In the kitchen we strapped her into a chair, so she couldn't fall off. Ma had thought it was fool proof. But then, to Da's half amusement she pulled the chair over. She wasn't hurt but it was so funny. Ma was laughing and Da was trying not to smile. And Janie was giggling too. Kitten watched over the girl and I went to help Riki make breakfast. I was allowed to touch the stove and oven, but I didn't want to. It was too hot to have anything but colder food. So Riki, standing on my shoulders got the cookie jar from a cupboard. Da obviously didn't know how much we had grown. Then we got some milk for us all from a box Da cooled with his Gift. To our delight there was also some pastries made of sugar and jam. We added cocoa and sugar to our milk and we had the best breakfast ever.

Da came downstairs as I was washing the dishes and Riki was drying (again a job Janie couldn't help with so she was outside with Sun and Moon, Clouds two foals.) He smiled weakly at me and said he was getting some water. The water down here was cooler.

"Da, is Ma gonna be okay?" I asked softly.

He ruffled my hair half-heatedly. He seemed to have forgotten how much I LOATHE that! "I don't know Stella. I really don't know," he said dazedly and wandered out.

I stared after him, attempting to flatten my hair huffily, but feeling very scared.

I fell onto bed, exhausted. I had spent the whole day, trying to look after my siblings. Kit had tried to help, but there are many things a dragon can't do.

I was nearly asleep when I heard the door open. I thought maybe it was Dahlia, the boss cat of the house. I called with my mind but discovered she was downstairs in Da's chair in the biggest library. So I turned over and saw Da at the door.

I smiled tiredly at him.

He came and sat on my bed. "I am very proud of you Stellamaris," he whispered hugging me. I knew he needed a hug. "And I'm sorry to say that you are going to have to look after the other for a few weeks."

"Why?!"

"I can't work out what is wrong with your Ma. And Alanna is not within range so I will take her to Corus. I know you can look after everyone. You can talk to animals and Kit and Riki will help you."

My lower lips trembled. But I knew Da wouldn't do this unless it was crucial. "Okay Da." I whispered.

"I'll be leaving tomorrow in the morning. I will make breakfast though. I noticed that you had nearly every sweet thing you could get your hands on." He said wryly.

"I don't want to touch the stove." I said.

"Oh, and I'll be sending someone to look after you. Maybe Alan or Thom. Wait, not Thom, he is too book bound. But maybe that wife of his has drummed sense into him. She might come. Then there's Maude or George and maybe-"

"Da!" I cut in "You're babbling." I told him dryly. It was a habit we had yet to break.

He grinned and went to ruffle my blonde curls but at my glare he pulled his hand back smiling.

"Come on, into your nightshirt." He helped me get into my nightshirt and tucked me in. He kissed me good-night and put my spelled crystal against the dark on my bedside table. Then, with an impish grin he ruffled my hair. He stuck his tongue out at me and grinned.

"Love you Sarra," he said as he closed the door. I smiled and fell asleep.


End file.
